My ADDiction to TV – I Love It, But It Doesn't Love Me Back. Help!!!

[lailamoon786]

Hi there!

Recently diagnosed and 1st time forum poster.  🙂

Well, I’m still going through the ups and downs after being diagnosed.  What I struggle with most is procrastination; and what contributes to this struggle is my addiction to my TV.  Yup, my wonderful, 46″ LCD TV with the most beautiful colors – my sanctuary.

It’s the only thing that calms down my brain – it’s how I relax.  I can watch TV for 12 hours straight, no problem!  But actually, that IS the problem – it keeps me from really fulfilling my goals, my hopes, my dreams.  I have all these AMAZING plans, yet I can’t get my body to do what my brain wants.  HELP!  Any advice on how to break this luscious, yet vicious and addictive, cycle would be much appreciated.

Leila

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[lailamoon786]

OK, so I’m going to try something.  I keep blaming the TV for keeping me from being productive.  Well, instead of fighting AGAINST it, I’m going to work WITH it!

For example, I’ve learnt that as an ADDer, it’s important to break tasks down into smaller chunks to keep from getting overwhelmed.  Well, each TV program has small chunks of time in the form of commercial breaks, right?  So, I’m going to try using these commercial breaks to tackle my tasks / To Do list.  HA, take that, TV Addiction!  😀

Sounds simplistic, and a little silly?  Maybe.  But right now, I need simplistic – and I can definitely use a bit of silliness, too.  😉

Please send me your positive vibes and wish me luck!  xo

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[lailamoon786]

Update on Operation:  Commercial Break

So check this out:  Since my last post, I tried my “commercial break” hypothesis, where I’d tackle something on my To Do list at each commercial.  In less than 1.5 hours, here’s what I was able to check off the list:

– Cleared my desk and took the plastic wrappings off my text book (I’m doing some online courses while working full time).

– Emptied the dishwasher.

– Emptied the kitchen sink of dirty dishes, loaded the dishwasher (had to scrub a few dishes first), and cleaned the sink.

– Cleared the counter of recyclables and placed them by the front entrance so I can take them down to the recycling bin tomorrow morning on my way to work.

Holy moly and Hallelujah!  I honestly thought it would take a LOT longer to do the above, but like I said, it was less than 1.5 hours.  This INCLUDED having my TV time and playing some online Scrabble (I have 5 games going on at once – I know, crazy!).  I felt relaxed while doing all of this, instead of my usual grumpiness and feeling of “heaviness” from the weight of having to do these mundane (yet totally necessary) tasks.  I think it’s because I interspersed fun stuff (TV and Scrabble), which took some of the pressure off.  Basically, I could have my cake and eat it, too – YUM! 🙂

Now, I just hope I can sustain this!  I do have a tendency of getting a bit excited when something works, so I’m going to take this in stride … right after I do a teensy weensy happy dance.  😀

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[Rick Green – Founder of TotallyADD]

Oh, I know this one.  For more and more people it’s the Internet, not TV, but it’s the same thing.

TV is a tricky thing.  Since I have been making TV shows for the past 30 years I know they are addicting. Real life can’t compete with a half hour or hour that was created by a dozen writers, hundreds of creative people, and then honed into a seamless gem.

Constant surprises and laughs and plot twists give you endless jolts of dopamine.

Dunno if you saw this headline, but one of the writers of the series Lost admitted they had no idea what it all meant or how it was all supposed to fit together. They just kept thinking up one zany idea after another. “What’s the most bizarre or unexpected thing we can do.”

I pictured all those regular viewers who spent all those hours watching, and then debating what it all meant, trying to figure it out… What a waste. Can you sue someone to get 200 hours of your life back? Ha.

Oh and another study found that 50% of what is reported on Fox News is false. Not only no payoff, but actually misleading. Wow.

By the way, a study done some years ago found that every hour of TV lowered your happiness & satisfaction by 3%.  Watch three hours a night, and you’re down almost 10%.

One brilliant suggestion: hide the remote. You wanna change channels, you have to get up. And you can’t go surfing, trying to find something worth watching.  Every time we visit one of my elderly relatives she has the TV on. And she always says, “Nothing good on. Never is.”  And yet the TV is always on.

Get rid of the PVR.  And then as Lailamoon pointed out, you have to sit through commercials, or get up and do something.

Another suggestion: Only turn it on for a program you want to see. If you flop down after dinner, beat, and go searching… maybe there’s a book you could try instead.

Another suggestion: If you do sit down to unwind watching a show you like, turn it off when it’s done. If you don’t have the willpower put a timer on the TV, like you have for switching lights on and off when you’re not home.  So when the show is over, the TV goes off.

Another suggestion: do something while you’re watching TV.  The perfect opportunity to do something somewhat mindless like sort receipts, sign bills, or have it on in the TV and make healthy pots of food that you can divide up into containers, freeze, and have healthy meals.

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[lailamoon786]

You hit the nail(s) on the head, Rick!  Your suggestions are much better than what I’ve had planned lately:  throwin’ my TV out the window!  I’m in a high-rise, soooo not a good idea – car horns blaring, glass everywhere – it would’t be pretty!  :p

 

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